General utility switch mechanism



sfipi. 22, 1931. 'MccABE GENERAL UTILITY SWIiTCH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1930 I. E. M gABE GENERAL UTILITY SWITCH MECHANISM sept. 22, 1931.

Filed Aug. 4, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IRA E.MCABEZ 16 4, M

ATTORNEY-H Sept. 22, 1931. I. E. M CABE GENERAL UTILITY SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Aug. 4, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR [RA Bra e/x5e BY "um...

' ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNHTED STATES IRA E. MCCAIBE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS GENERAL UTILITY SWITCH MECHANISM Appllcationfiled August 4, 1980. Serial No. 472,900.

This invention relates to switch operating mechanism and more particularly to a general utility switch mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide a switch operating mechanism to be used as arc of 360 degrees so arranged that it can be mounted against the wall or against the surface at right angles'in any position in the arc. By this arrangement it is possible to locate a switch on, for instance, the wall,

. floor, or ceiling, even if any of them be sloping and yet mount the switch in a perpendicular position, In addition, this invention contemplates the actuating lever of the switch so constructed that it is readily adjustable to any position and travel. In order that this mechanism may be attached to equipment which would throw too great a load at the end of its travel, this improved mechanism provides for overtravel after the switch has thrown. By this arrangement this switch is readily adapted to many varieties of service without requiring special brackets and means of attachment. Further, it is so arran ed that the lever may be actuated by a be t pulley such as might be desired in case of an elevator stop, accounting machine, or rotating machinery.

The large variety of uses to which mer-- cury switches are put is greatly increased by a mechanism of this character and the adoption of them to numerous industrial and mechanical applications is reatly enhanced thereby. Mercury switches ave much greater life and have advantages much to be desired over the open contact switches. By the provision of this switch mechanism the adoption of mercury switches to additional fields is secured, and this switch mechanism offers great utility for general urposes.

With these and other ob ects in view, reference is, made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, with the understanding that detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa view in rear elevation of the casing containing an embodiment of this invention and illustrating one of its applications.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of Figure 1 with the cover of the casing removed. I

Figure 3 is a central vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating another application of this invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail top plan yiew, with parts broken away, of the ad ustmgvmechamsm of the switch.

igure 7 is a view in front elevation of Figure 6.

' Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail View in section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail view in front elevation of the to athed disc shown in Figure 2.

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, the switch mechanism is mounted within a cylindrical casing 1 closed at its back and provided with a removable cover 2 upon its front. Attached to the closed back a reversable and adjustable bracket 3 is provided, the main body of which follows the contour of the casing with an extension 4 therefrom terminating in two spaced apart right angular perforated portions 5 which portions terminate in upwardly extending perforated right angular ears 6 whereby the casin may be attached to its support in any desirable position and allow the casing to retain the same relation to the vertical. To allow the bracket to, be adjusted about the center of the casing, the main body 3 is cut. out concentrically with the center of the casing. Three equidistant screws 7 with enlarged heads mounting washers 8 are secured to the closed back of the casing adapted to clamp vided with oppositely disposed parallel flat a cut away rtions and at this extremity is screw t readed. A flanged sleeve 12 is keyed u n the fiat surfaced portion 10 of the she 10 and a toothed disc 13 is keyed upon the sleeve, as shown, and preferably secured thereto b a washer and iiut screwed onto the threade end of the shaft 10. The flanged sleeve 12 is received within a spacing member 14 surrounding the shaft 10 and en- 1 plates 16 and 1 7 are each provided with radial gaging theend of the bearing sleeve 11, and

is provided with an outstanding circular flange 15. Two plates 16 and 17 are rotatively mounted upon the sleeve 12 and are held against the flange 15 by the end of the spacing member 14 interposed between said pla es and the end of the/bearing sleeve 11. he

extensions 19, as shown, the extensions 19 of the plates 16 and 17 are providedwith adjac'ent substantially radial edges with anular portions extending away therefrom. in; ends of these angular portions opposite the respective radial edges are each provided with anchors 20 for engaging the o posite ends of a coil spring 21, the-tension '0 which is suflicient to normally Idaintain the radial ed es adjacent each other.

ne or more mercury tube switches 22 are secured by clips 23 to a carrying arm 24 bent at ri ht angles to a switch 0 erating plate 25 whic is plvotally mounte upon the pivot pin 26, mounted in the bearing 27 secured to the rear wall of the casing 1 and a bearing plate 28, held in spaced relationto the rear wall of the casing 1 by the posts 29, which also serve as stops limiting the movementof the operating plate 25 in either direction. An operating arm 30 is secured to the switch carryin plate 25 above its pivot 26 and held in para el relation to said pivot by the plate 31 mounted thereon between the bearing plate 28 and switch carrier plate 25. The operating arm 30 extends beyond the bearing plate 28 and passes over a cut-away portion thereof.

The radial extensions 19 are of such proortions that the radial edges thereof may be rought into'enga ement'with the switch operatin arm 30. etween the toothed disc 13 an flange 15 two plates 32 and 32 are loosely mounted upon the sleeve 12. These plates are each provided with upwardly extending portions and each provided with bent down finger 33 adapted to engage in toothed plate 11.

the teeth of the toothed disc 13, that ortion of the plate directly below the toothed finger is provided with a bent back portion 34 adapted to pass between the radial edges of the extensions 19 of the plates 16 and 17, and that portion of the plate next above the finger is bent outwardly over the circumference of the toothed disc and then downwardly parallel to the surface of said disc and terminated in oints 35, the edges of which are in line wit the bent back portions 34 and each of these pointers are adapted to pass over the disc '13.

The fingers 33 are slidable over the toothed disc 13 and will normally hold the plates 32 and 32' of the fin ers in contact with the e spring 21 of the radial extensions 19 of plates 16 and 17 will normally hold their respective radial edges against the backward extensions 34 of the finger carrying plates. The radial edges ofthe plates 19 upon rotation of the shaft 10 will-, through the connection of the fingers 33 to the toothed disc 13and portions 34, engage the switch operatin I arm 30 when the shaft 10 is'rotated inone irection to move the arm 30 in that direction and g ti'lt the switch carrying plate 28, tlireby.- maki n or breaking, as the case may"be, theici rcuitt rough the mercuryl tube 22, and' when the shaft 5 is rotated in t e opposite direction the radial extension 19 of the other plate will in the same manner engage the opposite side'of the switch operating arm 30 and tilt the switch in the opposite direction. The fingers 33 may be manually moved to slide over the teeth of the disc 13 so that the relative relation of the radial edges "of the plates 19 may be adjusted independently of each other and cause them to engage the opposite side of the switch operating shaft 30 as desired. By the proper manual adjustment of the fingers 33 upon the toothed disc 13 their respective radial extensions 19 may be so adjusted that the radial edges thereof upon rotation of the shaft 10 in one direction will engage the switch operating arm 30 and tilt the switch at a predetermined amount of movement and upon rotation in the opposite direction the other radial extension may be caused to engage the switch operating arm 30 at a predetermined amount of movement and tilt the switch in the opposite dislidable over the toothed disc 13, do not actually ride over the teeth of this disc but actu-' ally engageithe teeth, when positioned, forming a lock between the finger carrying plates and toothed disc. The adjustment of the fingers upon the toothed disc is performed by pressing the portion carrying the pointer 35 in the direction of the disc which'will move the fingers out of engagement with the teeth so that the plates 32 and 32 may be rotated to the pro er position and when the pressure is release upon the pointer 35 the resiliency of the plate will cause the fingers 33 to move forward and engage between two teeth ofthe disc. It is seen that by this construction an easy operable adjustment of the positions of the fingers is readily made and when the fingers are positioned the plates 32 and 32' are rigidly fixed to the toothed disc 11.

- The coil spring 21 not onl urges the abutment of the plates 16 an 17 toward the switch operating arm 30 but also allows a further movement of the operating shaft and toothed disc after the switch carrying plate hasbeen tilted if the amount of movement k of the shaft 10.-is greater than that required to tilt the switch plate. The exterior end of the shaft 10 extends beyond the outer end of the bearing sleeve 11 and is preferably squared, as at 10", with its extremity screw threaded, as shown. An operating plate 36 is keyed upon the squared portion of the extending shaft 10, which may e secured thereto b a washer and nut screwed on the end 0 the shaft, if desired. It is preferable to provide two oppositely disposed studs 37 upon the operating plate equidistant from the center of the shaft 10 for engagement with an operating lever or other operating discs, as Wlll hereinafter be described.

An operating lever 38 is shown on Fi ure 1 which is provided with a plurality o stud receiving apertures 39 spaced apart so as to be placed over the studs 37 on the operating plate 36 and end of shaft 10 and secured thereoirby a washer and nut screwed on the end of the operating shaft 10, as shown. With this construction the relation of the distance from the end of the lever 38 to the center of the operating shaft 10 'may be read ily adjusted, also the end of the operating shaft being squared, the operating plate 36 ma be right angularly ad usted thereon.

nother type of operating lever 38 is shown on Figures 4 and 5'. In-this type the lever 38 is secured to the operatin plate 36 in the same manner as previously described. A disc 40 having a grooved circumference 41 is carried on a hub 42 rotatably mounted upon the exterior portion of the bearing sleeve 11 and is adapted to be rotated thereupon by a flexible rope or other member 43 passing over the grooved circumference of the disc 40, which member 43 is provided with a plurality of enlargements or contacts 44 increasing the normal diameter of said member. The operatin lever 38 mounts an abutment 45 adapte to extend in the path of the contact 44 and will be engaged thereby and rotated about its center by the passage of the abutment to close or open the switch as the case may be. The body of the the adjacent edges of the plates 19 are both brought into engagement with the operating arm 30 after the switch 22 has been placed in the normal position desired with the center of the casing in'a vertical plane. The bracket 3 is adjusted so that it may be secured in place with the center of the casing in a vertical plane. The operating plate 36 is secured to the operating shaft 10 as near its normal posit-ion in relation to the switch mechanism as allowed by the squared end 10 of the shaft 10 and then by proper manipulation of the fine gers 33 the plates 19 are positioned about the toothed disc'13 to hold the operating arm 30 with the switch 22 in the desired position,

so that rotation of the operating shaft 10 in one direction will at once throw the switch and further rotation of the operating shaft be permitted without injury to the switch operating mechanism. If it is desired to allow a certain amount of rotation of theshaft 10 before the switch is operated the mechanism maybe adjusted to operate as'desired by the proper adjustment of the fingers 33 upon the toothed disc 13.

The type of operating lever 38 shown in Figures 1 and 3 may be employed when the actuating instrumentality moves in a straight line and the type of operating lever 38 shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be em loyed when it is necessary tochange the patii of movement of the actuating instrumentality.

What I claim is: w

1. A general utility mercury switch mechanism including a casing about said mechanism, a bracket rotatably secured to said casing for attaching it to a support, a switch mechanism operating shaft extending beyond the exterior of the casing, means actuated upon rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism, means exterior of the easing to rotate the shaft, and means to determine the amount of rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism from any fixed position-of the shaft irrespective of the relation of the casing to said fixed position.

2. A general utility mercury switch mechanism including a casing about said mechanism, a bracket rotatably secured to said casing for attaching it to a support, a switch mechanism operating shaftextending beyond 5 the exterior of the casing, means actuated upon rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism, means exterior of easing to rotate the shaft, including" an operating plate keyed upon the. shaft adjustable to a plurality of definite equidistant positions, said operating plate adapted to engage an operating lever orother operating instrumentality, and means. to determine the amount of rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism from any fixed position of the shaft irrespective of the relation of the operating plate to said fixed position. i

3. A general utility mercury switch mechanism including a casing about said mechanism, a'bracket rotatably secured to said casing for attaching it to a support, a switch I 'mechani'sm operating shaft extending be yond the exterior of the casing, means actuated upon rotation of the shaft/to operate the switch mechanism, means exterior of casing to rotate the'shaft. including "an operating platekeyed upon the shaft adjustable to a plurality of definite equidistant positions, saidv operating plate adapted to engage an operating lever or other operating instrumentality, and means to determine the amount 'of rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism from any fixed position of the shaft irrespective of the relation of the voperating plate to said fixed position, including means to adjust the determining means to operate the switch mechanism at any desired rotation of the shaft between the adjustment of the operating plate upon said 40 shaft.

4. A general utility mercury switch mechanism including a casing about said mechanism, a bracket rotatably secured to said casing for attachingit to a support, a switch mechanism operating shaft extending beyond the exterior of the casing, means actuated upon rotation of the shaft to operate the switch mechanism, means exterior of the casing to rotate the shaft and means to determine the amount of rotation of the shaft to' operate the switch mechanism from'any fixed position of the shaft irrespective of the relation of the casing to said fixed position, and means allowing further rotation of the shaft after operation of the switch mechanism without injury thereto.

IRA E. MQCABE. 

